Collapsible square



A. E.y ODMARK. coLLAPslBLE SQUARE APPLlcATmN-HLED juLY x6. 191e.

Eatnted May 10, 19H.

WZ? wie; M/WIM AUGUST n. onli/rank, on r/rnsnnooiv, Mioniean.

UOLLAPSIBLE SQUARE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1t, 1921..

Application led July 16, 1918. Serial No. 245,210.

To @ZZ /wwm t may concern Be it known that I, AUGUST E. DMARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Muskegon, in the county of h/.iuskegon and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Collapsible Squares, of which the following` is a specification.

This invention relates to geometrical instruments, and more especially to those ot the straight-edge type; and the object ot' the same is to produce a square whose parts may be folded or housed within its handle or shank so that the instrument can be carried in the pocket.

A further object is to render one of .said parts slidably adjustable in connection with the shank so that it may be graduated or marked for measuring purposes.

A. furtherV object is to provide a peculiar form ot spring tor holding both movable,

parts housed within the shank.

Yet other objects will be set forth in the following specification and claims, and attention is invited to the drawings where- Figure 1 is a side elevation oi one type of this invention collapsed or housed,

Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof,

Fig. 3 a side elevation with one `face plate removed and the parts drawn out, and

Fig. 4L a sectional detail on the line 1 -4 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of another form ot this invention with the parts drawn out.

rl`he shank or handle is indicated by the reference numeral 1. As shown in Fig. 2 it is made up of two side plates and an interposed iller, and the nearer side plate is removed in Fig. 3 so that the filler 2 is eirposed. This iller is cut away to provide a recess 3 for the blade 4f, and a recess 5 for the stem 6 of the center head 7. 1n the construction shown in Fig. 5 the recess 3 overlies and laps the recess 5, and the head 7' projects to the upper rather than the lower side of the stem 6', but the principle is the same.

Referring nowto the details best seen in Fig. 3, the iller 2 has at its mid-length a partition 12 through which passes the shank of a double-ended spring 111, onel extremity 15 thereof being upturned into the lower edge ot the recess 5 and adapted to engage a notch 16 in the lower edge of the stem 6, and the other extremity 13 of the spring projecting into the recess 3 and being bent into a proper shape to engage a notch 8 formed in the end oi the blade, when said blade is pushed into place as seen in Fig. 1. To give room in the recess 5 tor the upturned eX- tremity 15 of the spring, said recess at its inner end is enlarged on its lower side as indicated 17, and the tip of the spring stands within this enlargement with its eX- tremity 15 rising normally slightly therefrom so as to engage the notch 16 when the stem 6 is pushed inward as will be understood. 'llo draw the center head outward, the operator grasps it at 7 and pulls, thereby breaking or interrupting the frictional engagement of the extremity 15 with the notch 1G. In similar manner, the notch S at the inner end of theblade engages the extremity 13 when said blade is pushed into place as seen in Fig. 1, tor which purpose the notch itself has an enlargement as indicated at 18. rlhe face plate oi the shank is cut away on one or both sides as indicated at 19 in Fig. 1, so that the operator may reach through the cut-away portions and grasp the extremity of the blade when the latter is to be drawn out of the shank.

The stem of the center head slides accurately between the upper and lower walls of the recess 5 and between the inner faces or" the face plates of the shank, and this element is adjusted merely by drawing it outward or pushing it inward. ln its active position the blade l must necessarily stand at right angles to the shank, and theretore provision is made for causing it to assume this position. One face plate 20 is provided with a longitudinal slot 21 extending nearly throughout the entire length of the recess 3 as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. rThis slot might be said to be T-shaped as shown in Fig. 1, its head 22 extending to either side of its shank and the outer wall 23 of the head being slightly oblique to a line at strictly right angles to the length of said shank, tor a purpose yet to appear. rllhe blade l is formed with a pin 24 which is in constant engagement with the slot, either its shank or its head. When the blade is housed within the handle or shank 1 of the instrument, the pin 24 is at the inner end of the shank ot the slot as seen in Fig. 1. When the blade is grasped by reaching through the cut-outs 19 and drawn outward, the pin travels the length ot the slot until it enters the head 22. Then the blade may be turned to a position at right angles to the shank 1 and pressed downward, and the pin now rides on the outer wall 23 of the head 22 and drops into the lower end of the same as seen in Fig. 3. The fact that this wall is inclined slightly, causes the entire blade to be borne a little to the left in this action, with the result that its inner edge 25 strikes the right hand extremities 26 and 27 of the filler 2, which terminate on a line with its inner edge as seen. The inner end of the blade is also by preference provided with an extension 29 which at this time drops into an opening in the lower portion of the filler, the opening being defined between the extension 27 and a continuation 30 as seen in Fig. 3. Preferably the inner extremity of the blade alongside the extension 29 is cut off as shown at 31 so that when the extension enters the recess the extremity of the blade does not rest on the continuation 30. `When the parts wear, this space 21 may be taken up, but at all times the inclined wall 23 of the head 22 will cause the entire blade 24 to be borne against the extremities 26 and 27 of the filler so that the Vworking or inner edge 25 of the blade will be ever at right angles to the working edge of the handle 1.

ln the construction shown in Fig. 5, the parts are much the same and l have used as far as possible the same reference letters with prime marks attached. The handle or shank 1 is about half the length of the handle 1 shown in Fig. 1, and the recess 3 overlies the recess 5 instead of standing in alinement'therewith as seen in' Fig. 3. The

partition 12 is shown extending longitudinally of the shank and standing between the contiguous edges of the two recesses. The spring 14 in this case is bent upon itself and disposed in an opening 12 inj the partition, being held therein by a pin 14 through its bend. Its arms are provided respectively with humps 13 and 15 to engage the notches in the movable elements as described above.

The blade 4L in this instance is provided with a slot 21 deflected at its inner end as at 20 and the pinv 24; passes through both side plates of the handle and across the recess 3 within the ller. The construction, operation, and use of the device is substantially the same otherwise as that already described.

For measuring purposes the shank 1 and the blade d and stem 6 may be marked with graduations having numbers stamped adjacent to them, according to what measuring standard is employed and the uses to which the instrument is to be put. As illustrative of this idea, I have shown graduations on the face plate in Fig. 1 numbered from O to 5, because this instrument would be six inches long from the inner edge 25 of the blade 4l to the outer end of the head 7 when the parts are assembled as seen in this view. At this time the head closes against the left end of the shank or handle and the measurement is over all. The stem 6 may also be graduated as seen in Fig. 3, and in carrying out the illustration above mentioned l have indicated two marks and the numbers 7 and 8 adjacent them. As these marks come opposite the end of the handle when the stem 6 is withdrawn the numerals give the length over all from the inner edge of the blade 1l to the outer end of the head 7. Therefore, the two elements last named coact to produce a measuring device at this time. The parts are by preference entirely of metal, and I abstain from giving proportions because that may be left to the manufacturer.

The foregoing description and the drawings have reference to what may be considered the preferred, or approved form of my invention. lt is to be understood that l may make such changes in construction and arrangement and combination of parts, materials, dimensions, et cetera, as may prove expedient and fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. ln a geometrical instrument, the combination with a shank containing a recess, and a spring fixed in one end wall of the recess and projecting into it, the tip of the spring being deflected; of an element movably mounted within said recess and having a notch adapted for engagement with said spring and the notch provided with an en'- largement adapted to receive the deflected end of the spring-when the element is housed within the recess.

2. In an instrument of the type described, the combination with a shank containing a pair of recesses separated by a partition, and a spring in the partition whose ends extend respectively into said recesses; of a pair of elements slidably mounted in said recesses and having notches disposed to engage the ends of said springs when the elements are housed within said recesses but to disengage said springs when they are drawn manually outward.

3. ln an instrument of the class described, the combination with a shank composed of two face plates and an interposed filler, the latter having `recesses in its ends separated by an intermediate transverse partition, and a spring whose body is secured in said partition and whose extremities extend into said recesses; of elements slidably mounted in said recesses and provided with notches adaptedvfor frictional engagement with said extremities when the elements are housed.

4. In an instrument of the class described, the combination with a shank composed of two face plates and an interposed filler, the

Lawyer? latter having recesses opening out at its ends and separated by an intermediate transverse partition, one recess being oiset laterally, and a spring passing through said partition and having bent extremities, one end of the spring lying in said offset; of two elements slidably mounted in said recesses respectively, one having a notch in its edge adapted to engage the bent extremity of the spring in said oifset, and the other` having a notch in its extremity with a lateral enlargement to engage the other extremity or the spring When this element is housed.

5. In a collapsible square, the combination with a shank having a recess opening at one end thereof, one Wall of the recess terminating` short of the end of the shank and the opposite Wall continued to said end but interrupted at a point opposite the end of the vfirst-named Wall; of a blade Whose body is of a size to slide into said recess and to be housed Within the same, the inner end of the blade having an extension adapted to lit into said interruption When the blade stands at right angles to the shank, said shank having a side plate provided With a longitudinal slot and a cross head near its outer end, and a pin in the blade near its inner end slidably engaging said slot When the blade is housed and entering said cross head When the blade stands at right angles to the shank, for the purpose set forth.

6. ln a square, the combination with a shank comprising side plates and an interposed ller, the latter being recessed from one end of the shank inward and the Walls of said recess having extremities standing in transverse alinement, and one side plate having eut therein opposite said recess a longitudinal slot provided beyond said eX- tremities with a cross head Whose Wall near the end of the shank is oblique to the length of the slot; of a blade of a size to be housed Within said recess, the blade having in its body near its inner end a pin engaging said slot when the blade is housed, the pin riding on said oblique Wall when the blade is moved into position at right angles to the shank and bearing the inner edge of the blade against the extremities mentioned, for the purpose set forth.

ln testimony whereof l aHiX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

AUGUST E. ODMARK.

`Witnesses JOHN NEIL, ANNA J. BARCUS. 

